Fusus (Pseudofusus) pulchellus var. curta Bellini, 1902a: 91

Fasulo, Giuseppe, Duraccio, Sergio, Federico, Antonio & Crocetta, Fabio, 2019, The (almost) unknown Italian naturalist Raffaello Bellini (1874 - 1930): biography malacological publications, and status of his recent molluscan taxa, Zootaxa 4668 (3), pp. 343-369 : 354

Fusus (Pseudofusus) pulchellus var. curta Bellini, 1902a: 91 , 97, figs. 5a–b

( Fig. 4F )

Type locality: Capri Island (Naples, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) .

Original description: “raccorciato e più noduloso” [short and more nodulose—with respect to Fusinus pulchellus (Philippi, 1840) , reported as Fusus (Pseudofusus) pulchellus Phil. ].

Material examined: five Fusinus shells labelled by Monterosato “ Dentifusus curtus, Bellini—Capri !” (MC- CIC—drawer 8, n. 146) actually belong to Fusinus alternatus Buzzurro & Russo, 2007 (4 shells) and presumably to Fusinus pulchellus (Philippi, 1840) (1 shell) ( Fig. 4G ); seventeen shells labelled by Monterosato “ Dentifusus curtus, Bellini—Capri !! Dr. Cerio—1904” (MCZR-M-17457) again mostly belong to F. alternatus . This material comes from the same type locality of Fusus (Pseudofusus) pulchellus var. curta Bellini, 1902a .

Remarks: having been instituted on the basis of insignificant morphological characteristics, we rank it infrasubspecific, and thus not available ( ICZN 2012: Art. 10.2, 45 .5, 45.6, glossary). This taxon was reported by Snyder (2003) as described in 1929, whereas by Russo (2018) as in 1901, but its publication date is here stated in 1902. It would be also preoccupied by Fusus curtus Fleming, 1828 and Fusus curtus Jeffreys, 1867 . Russo (2018) considered it as described on the basis of a juvenile F. pulchellus , missing a part of the siphonal canal. We cannot confirm here the above-mentioned misidentification as the figure attached to its description is very poor. Noteworthy, Russo (2018) also mentioned that a specimen from Capri Island stored in Monterosato’s collection (Rome, Italy) and labelled as “ Pseudofusus curtus Bellini ” actually belongs to F. alternatus . We also faced a similar issue (see above in additional material), which may suggest that at least Monterosato conceived Fusus pulchellus var. curta Bellini as belonging to what is now identified as F. alternatus . Finally, the usage of the genus Fusinus Rafinesque, 1815 should be actually restricted to a group of Indo-West Pacific species related to Fusinus colus ( Linnaeus, 1758) ( Vermeij & Snyder 2018) , and thus it is here used cautiously.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A–C. Bittium iadertinum var. coralligena. A. Original figures. B. Possible type material from Capri Island (Naples)—4.9×1.5 mm. C. Original label handwritten by Bellini. MCZR—not numbered. D, E. Murex trunculus var. propeconglobata. D. Fossil(?) shell from Sciacca (Agrigento)—72.4×52.8 mm. E. Original label handwritten by Monterosato. MCZR- M-7623. F, G. Fusus (Pseudofusus) pulchellus var. curta. F. Original figures. G. Shells from Capri Island (Naples) and original label handwritten by Monterosato (up to 16 mm in total height). MCCIC—drawer 8, n. 146. H. Clathromangilia granum var. prausi. Original figures. I. Left. Cardium (Parvicardium) exiguum var. minimum. Original figure. I. Right. Cardium (Parvicardium) exiguum var. paludosum. Original figures.